The Movie That Changed My Life: 'Puppet Master 3: Toulon's Revenge'

In honor of our 20th birthday, we'll be celebrating movies and their impact on individual people. If there is a movie that has changed or inspired you, let us know by emailing moviefone-editorial@teamaol.com.

If you ask filmmakers what inspired them to pursue their craft, most will spin a tale of childhood visits with the whole family to grand old theaters that have been replaced by the soulless multiplexes of today. They could wax philosophical about the first time they saw classics like Citizen Kane unspool. Well, not me.

Growing up during the direct-to-video boom meant weekly trips with my father to the local Video Village to pick up that latest work from the Orson Welles of low budget horror Mr. Charles Band. Band's production company Full Moon pumped out pulpy tales, often featuring merchandising-friendly killer puppets or toys as the antagonists, at regular intervals. Somewhere around the third movie in their infamous 'Puppet Master' series, I knew that this was what I would be doing someday.

Watch a trailer for 'Puppet Master 3':

Cut to the Fall of 2005. I had recently graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, and was desperate to find the right film project to launch my career. While surfing the web on Halloween night, I discovered that Charles Band was mounting a horror themed roadshow, which would be stopping just outside of Philadelphia.

Walking up to the venue on the night I attended said roadshow, my only hope was to nab a few of Mr. Band's elusive early films on DVD, but I left with a promise of a chance to be involved in an upcoming Full Moon project. I was sure he was only being polite to a fan, but it had still made my night. A couple of months later I received a follow up email, and shortly thereafter I joined production for the first film in their 'Evil Bong' franchise.

While there were ups and downs throughout that period, the experience opened many doors for me. And I will never forget how killer puppets changed my life.